Entering recruitment with no experience

He spent years managing luxury restaurants in Los Angeles and London. Then he walked into a recruiting office with zero industry knowledge — and became one of Europe's top billing recruiters. Jean-Louis-Philippe Girardet (JLP) didn't just cross industries. He rewired how recruiting gets done.

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Most recruiters burn energy chasing new clients when their next placement is already in their database. JLP proved it — 60% of his €500K billing year came from relationships he already had. This episode breaks down how he built it, how he led with luxury service standards in a sales-driven world, and what it really takes to go from top biller to team leader without losing what made you great.

What You'll Learn

• The luxury hospitality service standard JLP applied directly to his recruiting process
• Why 60% of his €500K year came from existing clients and how to replicate it
• The duo billing model that sustained 20–30 open assignments simultaneously
• The hardest truth about transitioning from top biller to team leader
• Why salary is taboo in France and what it reveals about building candidate trust
• The 20/70/10 framework he uses to lead, differentiate, and make hard calls
• What Jack Welch's Winning taught him about competing at the highest level

Jean-Louis-Philippe Girardet (JLP) billed €500K in a single year and $320K solo the year prior, specializing in legal and HR recruitment in France. A former luxury restaurant manager who worked at a Michelin-star restaurant in Los Angeles and the Waldorf Astoria in London, JLP now leads one of the top recruitment teams in his group in Montpellier.

When you treat every candidate like a five-star guest and every client call like a table that needs turning in under ten minutes, results compound differently. JLP didn't just bring a different background to recruiting — he brought an entirely different standard. Hit play. This one will change how you run your desk.

Timestamps

00:00 – The philosophy separating great recruiters from everyone else

03:13 – From biology student to luxury restaurant manager

09:18 – Landing in recruiting with zero industry knowledge

13:37 – What luxury hospitality taught him about winning the desk

16:57 – Breaking down the €500K billing year

18:32 – The duo model for managing 20–30 open roles simultaneously

20:01 – Why JLP walked away from billing to lead a team

21:45 – The hardest part of going from top biller to leader

22:43 – The 20/70/10 rule for managing team performance

27:35 – France vs. US: why salary is taboo and what it means for recruiters

45:41 – The question JLP wishes more recruiters would ask

46:42 – What BD looks like in France's unstable market right now

 Sponsor:

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▶️ https://youtu.be/Iqaii3vcGWo

🔗 JLP → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-louis-philip-girardet-7865b1b0

🔗 Benjamin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/

📸 https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/

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